MBB: Game 34 - CAA Finals

[Hof_Judge99]

Northeastern 2.5 point favorites.

I’m surpsied it’s that low. NE on paper is the better team and they probably had the best regular season considering the injuries they dealt with and how many close losses they had. I can go on and on how criminal it is that this game is being played in an empty arena in the middle of nowhere but my cries obviously fall on deaf ears. If Buie is struggling like he was yesterday I wonder if there is a thought of putting Jalen at the 1, won’t lose any size. Eli and Tareq clearly need to play better than they did yesterday for us to have a chance, as NE will throw the kitchen sink at Justin. Key as it always is for us is to draw fouls and get to the line. We were +11 vs JMU from the free throw line and +13 vs. Delaware and were a whopping +242 on the season. To me that means drive and kick, get to the basket as try to initiate contact. Easier said than done. Gonna be an emotional night as it is one of the biggest games in program history.

[Wags]

Can't wait for the game, this is the matchup I wanted. Beating Northeastern the only way to put a proper exclamation point on one of the all-time great Hofstra Basketball seasons.

This season has been especially important to me because as some of you know, my Mom had been very ill with cancer, and passed away this past Friday. This run has been a welcomed distraction to an otherwise complete bummer of a time. So I wish I was down there celebrating with everyone after we go dancing for the first time in 18 years, but watching it on the TV will do this time, and I'll be catching up with everyone wherever the NCAA sends us on Sunday.

Roll Damn Pride!!

FD, sorry I didn't know. I am so sorry to hear that. My sincere condolences. I hope you can find some comfort in recalling good memories of your mom.

Like everyone here, I've obviously wanted HU to win. But now even more so, for you. If you go to the watch party at Hofstra USA tonight, let me know, and I'll meet you there.

[Captain]

Flying Dutchmen it may not be any consolation,please know that many of us have experienced the pain you have endured with the loss of loved ones.In my case, I believe that my Dad and uncle will be watching tonight's game from a better place and I always feel my dad's presence when I am at a HU game.
We may not be many but we are a passionate lot about Hofstra basketball. A few years ago during the Juan'ya Green era I was post-op for heart surgery and I begged a nurse to find out if we had beaten Towson that night... we had, barely of course. What kind of a nut am I?
Polito put it best;the goal is to play your best game tonight and see how the chips fall. Leave nothing on the table. Win the effort battle and don't be afraid to fail.
It is right there for you tonight so just go and grab it!! Good luck everyone!!!

[Jojogunne]

**Should have noted first and foremost - - -FD So sorry for your loss- may her memory be a blessing- very insensitive of me**

my thoughts- Hoping for the best- prepared for the worst"

It sucks that a 27 win team needs to win one game to go to the NCAA but we made our bed in UNCW (and vs. JMU) otherwise IMO we'd be a lock on a week bubble even with a loss. But that sadly isnt the case.
i always look for signs. Is it a sign that we WON'T Play UNCW? Is it a sign that we play a NORTHERN school down south - where playing Southern schools has always killed us?

I do think maybe CAA will wake up as I can't imagine a packed building for this game where sadly students and alum most likely just can't get there from New England/ NY area.
I love that it's Northeastern, even though they are (IMO) the best team left. If we beat them, we deserve it - if we don't - - -maybe they are just better.

It would be an absolute CRIME for JWF to not get a shot to be seen nationally - and I think a NCAA bid helps his potential NBA shot.
We need to play D tonight and SOMEONE else (JT? Buie? Eli? HAS to score 20+) they will be on JWF like white on rice.

i've loved this ride- but as much as I hate to say it- - -it's an after thought if we don't win tonight. Proud of them regardless- NO ONE could have predicted 27 wins. WE will be decent next year- but so will Delaware (Horton is insane) and CoC still has Riller- - this could be our window.

BTW- - - -IF We lose and don;t get an At-Large (which we won't) we would tie NCAA record for most wins by a team to NOT make the NCAA Tourney (Drexel and Oral Roberts with 27 in 2012)

Maybe the NCAA would tip the scale for Hofstra in order to have the country's #2 scorer in the Big Dance? I know everything is done by the numbers (RPI or whatever, and SOS), but we haven't beaten anyone ranked higher than us, correct?

I think it will be a very close game tonight, perhaps even another OT.

[Wags]

Interesting note on the two teams in tonight's game:
https://twitter.com/BGMull/status/1105468807303385088

[daHUPride]

**Should have noted first and foremost - - -FD So sorry for your loss- may her memory be a blessing- very insensitive of me**

my thoughts- Hoping for the best- prepared for the worst"

It sucks that a 27 win team needs to win one game to go to the NCAA but we made our bed in UNCW (and vs. JMU) otherwise IMO we'd be a lock on a week bubble even with a loss. But that sadly isnt the case.
i always look for signs. Is it a sign that we WON'T Play UNCW? Is it a sign that we play a NORTHERN school down south - where playing Southern schools has always killed us?

I do think maybe CAA will wake up as I can't imagine a packed building for this game where sadly students and alum most likely just can't get there from New England/ NY area.
I love that it's Northeastern, even though they are (IMO) the best team left. If we beat them, we deserve it - if we don't - - -maybe they are just better.

It would be an absolute CRIME for JWF to not get a shot to be seen nationally - and I think a NCAA bid helps his potential NBA shot.
We need to play D tonight and SOMEONE else (JT? Buie? Eli? HAS to score 20+) they will be on JWF like white on rice.

i've loved this ride- but as much as I hate to say it- - -it's an after thought if we don't win tonight. Proud of them regardless- NO ONE could have predicted 27 wins. WE will be decent next year- but so will Delaware (Horton is insane) and CoC still has Riller- - this could be our window.

BTW- - - -IF We lose and don;t get an At-Large (which we won't) we would tie NCAA record for most wins by a team to NOT make the NCAA Tourney (Drexel and Oral Roberts with 27 in 2012)

Maybe the NCAA would tip the scale for Hofstra in order to have the country's #2 scorer in the Big Dance? I know everything is done by the numbers (RPI or whatever, and SOS), but we haven't beaten anyone ranked higher than us, correct?

I think it will be a very close game tonight, perhaps even another OT.

Hmmmm
Lets make it easy on the decision makers tonight - and win it outright.
We have the parts to do this and I believe we will.
Northeastern is a headache - they play solid tough ball.
I think it will be key to have Taylor and Buie play good solid games and Eli to step it up a bit.
Go PRIDE!

[joeg1]

Probably not the matchup the CAA was hoping for. Wonder what the attendance will be?

Anyhoo, a good old NY/Boston rivalry to play out. Let's stick it to them- conjure up the spirit of Dent and Buckner and Eli and Tynes!!!

We can do it- just don't get tight, which I believe may have happened as big faves. Just play our game, free and loose. We have the superior athleticism- have some fun out there!!!

[Wags]

Probably not the matchup the CAA was hoping for. Wonder what the attendance will be?

Anyhoo, a good old NY/Boston rivalry to play out. Let's stick it to them- conjure up the spirit of Dent and Buckner and Eli and Tynes!!!

Tyree?

[joeg1]

Probably not the matchup the CAA was hoping for. Wonder what the attendance will be?

Anyhoo, a good old NY/Boston rivalry to play out. Let's stick it to them- conjure up the spirit of Dent and Buckner and Eli and Tynes!!!

Tyree?

Yeah, the receiver not the kicker lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[HofstraPride1]

Probably not the matchup the CAA was hoping for. Wonder what the attendance will be?

Anyhoo, a good old NY/Boston rivalry to play out. Let's stick it to them- conjure up the spirit of Dent and Buckner and Eli and Tynes!!!

Tyree?

I'm a Boston sports fan, but am certainly for the New York team in this match-up!

[HU76]

Pemberton is the key to this game. He has disappeared the last two games. He needs to show up tonight.

[Wags]

Pemberton is the key to this game. He has disappeared the last two games. He needs to show up tonight.

He didn't shoot that poorly (4/9 and 3/8), he just didn't get many chances since it was a collective effort the first game and it was a one-man show last night.

Eli can do more than he did the past two games, but Buie is the guy that has to give them at least something. He was scoreless last night for only the second time this season (the other was at VCU). He has to at least get a couple of buckets and get to the line a few times. He also has to disrupt Pusica as much as possible (easier said than done, since Pusica is very poised) and make it tough for Puscia to run NU's offense, to distribute to others and to find his own shot.

If NU starts hitting 3s early, HU will be in big trouble. NU is solid in so many other facets, that when they hit the 3 (where 46% of their total shots come from), they are very difficult to beat. Same could be said for HU behind the arc, just that HU is not as strong in some other areas as NU is, especially defensively. If HU is keeping NU in check from 3, they'll stay in it and have a good shot.

[triplec2195]

Yes I’m in agreement with all this Buie has to score play good D turnovers etc and dish. We need to get some good looks and easy baskets. They shoot a lot of threes so we need to defend the perimeter. This isn’t anything we haven’t done all season long. It sounds like a lot of us r preparing our concession speeches. I believe the spread is 1.5 everyone thinks this game will be close. Let’s be believers after all we won the conference outright!

[HU76]

Agreed Buie has to score more but Pemberton needs to step up. He came out against JMU and shot an air ball and then missed two free throws and then seemed to stop looking to score. Needs to do what he’s done all year, go to the rim and finish strong or draw the foul and hit free throws. Didn’t see much of that the last two games. He’s a great player and needs to play like one tonight.

[Wags]

Agreed Buie has to score more but Pemberton needs to step up. He came out against JMU and shot an air ball and then missed two free throws and then seemed to stop looking to score. Needs to do what he’s done all year, go to the rim and finish strong or draw the foul and hit free throws. Didn’t see much of that the last two games. He’s a great player and needs to play like one tonight.

He could do more offensively, but his 4 FTs in OT helped saved HU last night. He also still found a way to score 13 and 11 (not too far under his 15.4 average) in the first two games. He also had 6 boards last night, which tied Taylor and Anderson for the game-high. He also was 5-8 at the FT line in the first game, which matched JMU, and which led HU in FTA. He's not playing badly, he's just not getting his usual chances. Hard to do when you're the second option and the first option takes 30 of your team's 56 shots (not that JWF shouldn't have, because he made half, but the chances are limited for Eli then). The first game, JWF took 16 of the team's 54 shots and Taylor didn't miss, so he got 7 shots, Eli took 9 and made 4 (not that bad).

Buie, on the other hand, was around his 10.7 avg (10) in the first game and then went scoreless in 37 mins, and had only one steal last night. If he's going to fail to score again, they could be in trouble. In what figures to be a close game, Buie's 8-10 pts or so could mean a lot. Can't repeat what he did last night.

[Wags]

Here it is. What all 10 teams worked so hard for all season. Now only one of two remaining can earn it. Let's see it go to the higher seed.

https://twitter.com/HofstraMBB/status/1 ... 7103204353

[joeg1]

Play loose...no fear. Let the talent flow.

[EvanJ]

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=251596 has statistics. Both teams are starting their most common starters.

[ProudofPride]

Looks like Northeastern came ready to play tonight. Not sure what Hofstra is doing, especially on offense.

[triplec2195]

Push a goes to the bench with 2 fouls and NE goes wild hitting wide of en threes???